Is your communications style and technology “old-school?” In many offices today, the rule of thumb for updating technology is: “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” When it is broken, the office supply manager will likely search for a solution everyone is used to using, but inevitably the technology fails, or people can’t open or access necessary documents.
Face-to-face meetings and phone calls are still vital, but there are many advantages to moving your office communications to the next level.
Many companies are using apps like Slack to communicate and manage a remote team. E-fax services let you send faxes anywhere without the whining and roaring of your fax machine from the dinosaur age. While traditional offices may view the use of these tools as a remote possibility, these examples are relevant to business success.
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Upgrading your technology places your company on a level playing field, eliminates unnecessary distracting noise and adds convenience, allowing employees to improve their work performance. Technology, combined with improved interpersonal communication, brings various departments together and improves work culture.
Here are six tips for ramping up your office communication.
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Use Real-Time Collaborative Document Tools
Do documents in your company constantly require feedback and updates from various employees or departments? Collaborative tools such as Google Docs and Microsoft Office 365 allow you to work together in real time, rather than waste time with multiple rounds of revisions among departments.
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Make Internal Communications Accessible
You don’t have time to pace across the length of a football field or yell across endless cubicles to share an announcement that isn’t a good fit for a mass email. You could invest in an intercom and make your staff feel like they’ve returned to elementary school, or invest in tools that support internal communication best practices:
- Cloud technology, such as Google Drive
- One platform for email, documents, and calendars, such as Apple, Microsoft or Google
- Chat software, such as HipChat, Yammer or Slack
Work together in real time to get the job done and share information quickly and concisely without “bothering” a coworker or senior staff member.
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Update Your Phone System
Yes, the humble desk phone still has value in modern offices, but your phone system is probably woefully outdated. Move into the 21st century with voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP, and you’ll wonder why you didn’t make the switch long ago.
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Display Bite-Sized Information Visually
Visual learners comprise 65 percent of the population, so infographic displays and bite-sized “statuses” are a practical way to make information stick in most employees’ minds. Visual metrics also help keep the company updated and on target, and many employees have at least one social media account, so they’ll feel compelled to share.
Display mounted TVs in offices and common areas to rotate visual messages, depending on the content and the purpose of the space. Company announcements with sales, marketing metrics, and job openings, for example, keep employees updated on successes, reminders, and news.
Visual displays can also entertain and reduce stress among employees, with interesting social media feeds, short videos, motivational quotes and team photos. Use visual displays to target stress in the workplace more actively by turning a spare room into a meditation space, and let employees watch YouTube videos on asanas and mindful breathing.
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Cut Down on Unnecessary Meetings
No one looks forward to early-morning meetings, aside from the prospect of bagels, donuts, and coffee. Too-long meetings drone on with items that could as just easily be conveyed through email or memo. Consider encapsulating these agenda items into a 10-minute video or live feed that streams to employees at a designated time, and that they can re-watch anytime they need a refresher.
Face-to-face meetings are still vital but don’t waste them discussing trivialities. Shorten in-person meetings to 30 minutes to optimize employee engagement, information retention and contribution. Reports have also shown an increase in employee productivity and a decrease in stress levels.
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Invest in Biometric Security
Some employees keep office passwords in an easy-to-find location, endangering network security and risking sensitive information falling into the wrong hands. Even when the passwords are locked either digitally or physically, it’s possible for thieves to access and use them. Keycards also have their downfall and rely on the user to immediately notice and report when the card goes missing.
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Technology provides a solution to security weaknesses with biometric devices, which use a particular physical characteristic to identify you, though some critics fear hackers may figure out ways to make these traits “scannable” in the future. As more businesses and government officials use the devices, protocols, ethics, and codes of conduct are catching up.
Some devices support a network of 100 users or more. Typical biometric devices include fingerprint readers or scanners in laptops or USB devices that plug into keyboards and other devices. For a small staff or department handling sensitive information, a biometric device is a helpful and secure investment.
Ramping up your office communication and updating your communication tools will keep employers and employees on the same page, offering convenience and innovation that propel company success forward.
Collaborative document and communication tools save time and get work done faster, easily accessing information on the cloud, and in-person meetings will be more productive and to-the-point. Displaying bite-sized information visually helps employees stay updated and engaged, while biometric security measures keep sensitive information safe. Boosting office communication now means investing in the company’s long-term success, increasing client and employee satisfaction, and engagement.
Nathan Sykes writes about business, tech, big data, IoT and the cloud online. To read more posts by Nathan, check out his blog, Finding an Outlet.
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